Soundin(g(k)) ethnic in Toronto

Abstract

Abstract Research on ethnolects tends to focus on qualitative salient features rather than quantitative differences in variables shared across the speech community. This study examines ethnolinguistic variation in the realization of word-final velar nasals in the English of Toronto, Canada. Over 4,000 tokens were extracted from sociolinguistic interviews with 50 residents of Toronto stratified by ethnicity, generation and sex, and coded for a series of linguistic and social factors. While speakers largely share linguistic conditioning, there are significant differences between social groups. A language-transfer explanation is not supported by comparing ethnic orientation scores with overall rates. An explanation based on intersecting social factors receives support by examining participant levels of education. Findings suggest that the meaning of velar nasals cuts across several social dimensions.

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